Reference is made to the following patent applications by the same inventors as the present application and being filed on the same date as the present application and whereof the disclosure is hereby incorporated herein by reference:
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A DEREGULATED ELECTRIC POWER MARKET
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A DEREGULATED ELECTRIC POWER MARKET USING COOPERATIVELY PRODUCED ESTIMATES;
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A DEREGULATED ELECTRIC POWER MARKET USING SUPPLIERS"" SPECIAL OFFERS;
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A DEREGULATED ELECTRIC POWER MARKET USING CONSUMER SELECTED SPECIAL OFFERS;
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A DEREGULATED ELECTRIC POWER MARKET IN A SHORTAGE SITUATION;
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A DEREGULATED ELECTRIC POWER MARKET USING CONSUMER SITE ANOMALY DETECTION;
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A DEREGULATED ELECTRIC POWER MARKET USING CUSTOMER CIRCLES AGGREGATION;
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A DEREGULATED ELECTRIC POWER MARKET WITH SHARING OF SUPPLY CHAIN DATA; and
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A DEREGULATED ELECTRIC POWER MARKET USING WORKSPACE PORTALS.
The present invention relates to management systems utilizing electrical communications and information exchange for optimizing a business operation and, more particularly, to business management systems for optimizing operations in a deregulated electrical power and energy market, utilizing electronic information exchange, optionally including communications on the Internet, World Wide Web, e-Business networks, intranets, wireless nets, local area networks, and similar facilities.
In a deregulated electric energy market, many electric utility companies that previously included an integrated range of capabilities, including electric power generation, transmission, and distribution, have separated and are expected in the future to separate these capabilities into different companies: electric power generation companies (GenCos), electric power transmission companies (TransCos), electric power distribution companies (DisCos). Additional roles have come to exist as a result of the buying and selling of electric power and transmission capacity. Such additional roles may (remove xe2x80x9cmayxe2x80x9d) include electric power exchanges where the energy trading takes place at the wholesale level, Independent Systems Operators (ISOs) that manage the trading in transmission capacity, and resellers that buy electric power and then resell it to others, some of which are electric power consumers. Additionally, once electric power has been purchased, space or capacity for its transmission must be reserved from the ISOs or owners of electric power transmission lines. DisCos may also be resellers, or resellers that are not DisCos may pay a DisCo for the right to deliver electric power over lines owned by the DisCos. It will also be understood that the term xe2x80x9celectricityxe2x80x9d as hereinafter used, generally encompasses the terms electrical energy and/or electric power, as will be apparent from the context. Electrical consumers will typically pay separate charges for the electric power itself, the transmission of the electricity from where it is generated to the local geographical area where it is to be consumed, and the distribution of the electricity to its final consumption point. Money flow in the deregulated market would look like something like the chart shown in FIG. 1, in which the abbreviations used are as defined above.
Due to the retiring of old generation capacity, uncertainties concerning deregulation, and other factors, certain forecasts predict insufficient electric power generation capacity to meet peak demands for some time to come. Likewise, electric power transmission capacity is forecast to be insufficient to meet peak demands for the foreseeable future due to uncertainties concerning deregulation and the lack of rights-of-way in many regions for additional transmission capacity to be built. Particularly on especially hot days in summer when air-conditioning power demands are high, insufficient local power generation capacity and congestion on power transmission lines to other regions typically results in demand exceeding the available supply. As a result of such conditions, the cost of electric power and the cost of transmission capacity have reached peak prices two orders of magnitude higher than their average prices. For example, during early July 1998, prices went from less than $50 per Megawatt-Hour (MWh) to over $7,000 per MWh. Several energy service companies (ESCos) went bankrupt trying to buy electricity to meet their electric power contracts. Effective risk management has taken on new importance as a result.
Deregulation offers great opportunity in the energy market for both suppliers and customers, but it is herein recognized that:
CandI (Commercial and Industrial) energy customers cannot easily take advantage of short-term price fluctuations
Energy customers cannot easily respond to restrictions on or shortages in energy supply
ESCOs"" ability to shut down or control customers"" equipment is not appealing to most energy customers.
Energy Customers cannot respond quickly to adapt their energy demand optimally in the presence of voluntary (with price advantages) or involuntary curtailments ESCOs assume huge financial risks due to price fluctuations and inability to control energy demands.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a business management method with interaction between an electrical energy supplier and a plurality of customer energy consumers, wherein the method comprises the steps of the consumers providing respective electricity load profiles to the energy supplier; the energy supplier aggregating the respective projected electricity load profiles; and the energy supplier making decisions based on the respective projected electricity load profiles on any of: bidding on additional power, offering excess power on energy exchanges, and offering specials discounts to favored consumers.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a business management method for detection of anomalies with interaction between an electric distribution company and a plurality of customer energy consumers with respective smart electric metering systems, comprises the steps of: the respective smart electric metering system providing an error message to the electric distribution company upon occurrence of an anomaly; electric distribution company performing online diagnostics upon detection of an anomaly at a respective customer energy consumer site; the electric distribution company determines whether repairs are required; and upon a determination of a need for repair, electric distribution company schedules a repair visit at the respective customer energy consumer site.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention the step wherein the electric distribution company schedules a repair visit is performed by email.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the step wherein the electric distribution company schedules a repair visit is performed by a palmtop device.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the step wherein the electric distribution company schedules a repair visit is performed by a desktop computer.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the step wherein the electric distribution company schedules a repair visit is performed by a smart phone.
The method is likewise applicable to other commodities such as a water supply, fuel gas supply, or the like.